H-BLOCK Protest Grows

The bresk came in dune 1967. Austin Currie, the Campaign fo Soeisl Justice and local Republican Clubs hed campaigned STs against housing discrimination ag in ngannon. After being evict2 & ed from houses they were equatting in they decided to hold a march fron Cosalicland toa Donmarch attracted 2,500 people and was banned from the centre Or the elements of the CRM, This had many divisions and contradictions within but had the pover to mobilise huge numbers.

The unionists had allowed the pressure fron Paisleyitee. The of: Dungannans tobecontinued.

-due.

The farch brought together march but had banned it from the centre of a ‘catholic tom! under "like sewer pipes 1, the slums of Caleutta’ was how Archbishop O'Figeh described conditions in the H-plocks at Long Kesh. ‘O'Fisich's statement was import “ant even if it was long. over es The Catholic church hes never been a friend to the anti-‘imperialist movement in Ireland from the days of the Fenian prisoners to whom 0'Fisick referred in his atatement to the present time. The church -basically speeke for the Catholi bourgeoisie and the fact that the Archbishop has decided to speek out on H Block at. last means that the bourgeoisie ere Worried about the issue.

The Catholic businessmen North and South so:-ee that there is a rising tide of anger sbout conditions in H Block in the working-class ghettos of the North and that it is beginning to spread to the working-class in the South as well.They reckon that they've got to speak out now or they'li lose their infi “uence over the mass of the people and they feel they must try to get some concessions from ‘the British quickly, :

That's why O'Fiaich's stete “ment got such widespread public “=ity at home and abroad.The media know that it Was really ‘a Warning to the British that if they don't make concessions things may get out of hand. It Was noticeable too thet once O'Fiaich had spoken a1] sorts 27 respectable people who had steer =-e0 very clear of the H Block issue up to this fourd their voices at last.The most striking exguple was the SDLP whose leater Gerry Fitt had actual; opposed political status and the rest of whose members hac hepo very quiet on the issue.

This sudden chorus of respect -able protests is Welcome a5& a sign that the H Block campaig¢r is getting somewhere at lest but the British seem very deterrined to stick to their crininlisdtion policy. It will take imore than O'Fiach's statement to move them. It will require a ‘reslly substantial mass mobilisation on the streets. The voalislend-Dungannon march on August 27th should start the process and all anti-imperialist organisations should join in ‘building a united campaign this rr ; autumn and winter around key